Northwestern College (Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa
. It is also known as Northwestern IA. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America
(RCA). Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928. Then in 1961, it became the four-year institution it is today.
grant that aims to help students find their life's calling and follow it earnestly. These goals and projects take form in many ways, both student and faculty-initiated.
Spring Service Projects integrate faith, service and cross-cultural learning within a team setting that also allows for the involvement of faculty and staff. The SSP program benefits both the ministries and the students who serve: The efforts of a variety of ministries are encouraged, supported and helped in tangible ways. In addition, Northwestern students are challenged and strengthened in their faith as they see and experience the gospel being lived out in cultures different than the one in which they live.
Spring Service Projects provide students opportunities to participate in mission work taking place domestically and abroad during annual spring breaks in early March. Students have spent their ten-day breaks serving in city missions, youth hostels, construction sites, disaster relief zones, and low-income schools.
Sites for Spring 2011
Sites for Spring 2010
). They have worked in hospitals, orphanages and refugee camps; taught Vacation Bible School and English as a second language; and served in sports and hospitality ministries.
Summer of Service team members return from their summer experiences more aware of the world’s problems and promises and more equipped to wrestle with biblical applications to what they experienced. Often these students remain involved in service and mission, either full- or part-time after graduating from college.
Sites served during the summer of 2009
Sites served during the summer of 2010
(NAIA) and the Great Plains Athletic Conference
. The college's athletes compete as the Red Raiders on eight men's teams and eight women's teams.
Club sport teams include Dance and in years past Men's Lacrosse
The 2001 "double" (men's and women's basketball titles) was the first time that an NAIA school accomplished the feat, and at the time only the second in collegiate history (Central Missouri State
previously accomplished the feat in 1984; the University of Connecticut
would later accomplish the feat in 2004).
Orange City, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,582 people, 1,719 households, and 1,285 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,808.5 people per square mile . There were 1,805 housing units at an average density of 584.8 per square mile...
. It is also known as Northwestern IA. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
(RCA). Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928. Then in 1961, it became the four-year institution it is today.
Community
Northwestern occupies 100 acre (0.404686 km²) in the middle of Orange City, a town with 5,589 residents. The campus' 24 buildings are centered on the Highway 10 and Albany Avenue intersection.Culture
Northwestern works to integrate "faith and learning" as the main goal of the college education. The liberal arts are to be taught, not as self-contained disciplines, but as part of a greater whole. Another motto of the academic culture is "a whole education for your whole life". "Vocare: Find Your Place" is a project funded by a Lilly EndowmentLilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and is among the ten largest such endowments in the United States....
grant that aims to help students find their life's calling and follow it earnestly. These goals and projects take form in many ways, both student and faculty-initiated.
Student residences
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Student groups and clubs on campus
- Student Government Association http://intranet.nwciowa.edu/sga/(SGA)- A group of 13 students and 2 faculty gather weekly to discuss issues on campus and how to improve campus life. Students on campus elect the officials of this group. In 2009, the group voted to remove trays from the cafeteria in order to save food and liquid waste.
- The Beacon http://beacon.nwciowa.edu/index.php- This group of students puts together a weekly newspaper featuring sports highlights, topics on campus, opinion articles, some world news, fine arts events, etc. The paper is distributed most Fridays.
- International Club http://www.nwciowa.edu/studentlife/iclub/ (I-Club)- Many students at Northwestern are from other countries. Any one interested in participating in planning multicultural events or want to learn about other cultures are able to join. There are about 175 students in the club this year.
Events and traditions
- RUSH: A Student Dance Concert performs each year at Northwestern College. RUSH is a completely student-led, student-initiated, student-choreographed dance concert with a cast of close to 200 dancers with experience ranging from 0–20 years. RUSH holds the belief that anyone can dance, so long as they are committed and determined. All who try out are cast, and since its founding in 2004, RUSH has quickly become one of the most anticipated and most popular events at Northwestern.
- As residence life is a big part of campus life at Northwestern College, each residence hall boasts a number of hall specific traditions.
Academic buildings
- Bultman Center for Health, Physical Education and Intercollegiate Athletics, opened in 1995
- Christ Chapel and DeWitt Music Hall, opened in 1987
- DeWitt Theatre Arts Center, opened in 2004
- Korver Visual Arts Center, opened in 2003
- Rowenhorst Student Center, renovated in 2007
- Van Peursem Hall
- Ramaker Library
Administrative facilities
- Zwemer Hall, built in 1894 and restored in 1997 (listed in the National Register of Historic Places)
- Franken Center for Faith, Learning and Living
Presidential leadership
- President Greg Christy http://www.nwciowa.edu/about/president/ began his leadership in January 2008. His inauguration http://www.nwciowa.edu/inauguration/default.aspx took place on Oct. 10, 2008. His previous work was at Dakota Wesleyan UniversityDakota Wesleyan UniversityDakota Wesleyan University is a four-year university located in Mitchell, South Dakota, founded in 1885, that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The student body averages slightly less than 800 students...
in Mitchell, South DakotaMitchell, South Dakota-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,558 people, 6,121 households, and 3,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.7 people per square mile . There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 664.4 per square mile...
, as the vice president for institutional advancement.
Staff and faculty
- James BultmanJames BultmanDr. James E. Bultman is currently the president of Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He was named the 11th president in school history on December 11, 1998. Bultman had previously served as the president of Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa since 1985...
- former college president, later president of Hope CollegeHope CollegeHope College is a medium-sized , private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. It was opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled...
in Holland, MichiganHolland, MichiganHolland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River .... - B. D. Dykstra - former professor, pacifist, pastor, and poet
- A. J. MusteA. J. MusteThe Reverend Abraham Johannes "A.J." Muste was a Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist. Muste is best remembered for his work in the labor movement, pacifist movement, and the US civil rights movement.-Early years:...
- former professor, pacifist, labor and civil rights activist - Piet Koene - professor of Spanish who received the "2004 Iowa Professor of the Year" award
- Jeff Barker - professor of Theatre and Speech who received the "2006 Iowa Professor of the Year" award
- Dr. Luke Dahn- assistant professor of Music is an active composer whose compositions have been heard throughout the United States and abroad, with recent performances given by groups and soloists such as the Moscow Conservatory Studio for New Music, the NODUS Ensemble, the NEXTET Ensemble, Composers Inc., the University of Iowa Center for New Music, and saxophonist Kenneth TseKenneth TseKenneth Tse 謝德驥 is a Chinese American classical saxophonist. Tse was mainly self-taught as a youth until he met world-renowned saxophone artist and pedagogue Eugene Rousseau in 1989. He then studied at the Indiana University School of Music with Rousseau from 1993–1998, where he received his BM,...
. Several of his works have been recorded on the Albany label, included his quintet "Penumbrae," winner of the 2010 League Composers/ISCM Composers Competition.
Students in the news
- Deb Remmerde, a 2008 Northwestern College graduate (who was named the NAIA women's basketball Player of the Year in 2006 and 2008) holds the record for most consecutive in-game free throws in organized basketball. She ended her 133-shot free-throw streak in February 2006. Remmerde later appeared on "The Early ShowThe Early ShowThe Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
" where she completed 580 of 585 free-throws, live, in front of a CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television crew. - In May 2007 several Northwestern students organized the first annual "Red Letter Festival," which was held in Northwestern's Bultman Center. They used this festival as a support-raising tool for "The Bridge," a shelter for homeless women and children as well as victims of domestic abuse in the Orange City area. The festivities included an art auction, various children's activities, and musical performances by local bands. Also, former student Jim Ellis organized a long distance run as part of the festival. For both the 2008 and 2009 festivals, he ran 61.05 miles from Sioux City, IA to Orange City, IA. Many others joined him off and on along the way. This festival happens once a year during the fall semester, however the festival is no longer associated with Northwestern College.
Recognition
- U.S. News and World Report ranked Northwestern fourth among Midwest baccalaureate colleges in its 2009 America's Best Colleges guidebook.
- In 2008, Northwestern became only the second college to be honored as a Groundwater Guardian Green Site in recognition of its environmental stewardship.
- The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll has recognized Northwestern two years in a row for being a leader in local, national and international service efforts.
Spring service projects
For college students all over the country, spring break means road trips to big cities and balmy beaches. Northwestern students do that too, but some of them pack a hammer. Northwestern College annually sends more than 200 students, faculty and staff in teams to serve with ministries in the U.S. and around the world. SSP teams have traveled to Nicaragua and the Netherlands, to California, New York, Oklahoma and Florida. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities have been frequent destinations. SSP teams build and repair homes, minister in prisons, tutor at youth centers, serve in soup kitchens, live with residents in homeless shelters and more.Spring Service Projects integrate faith, service and cross-cultural learning within a team setting that also allows for the involvement of faculty and staff. The SSP program benefits both the ministries and the students who serve: The efforts of a variety of ministries are encouraged, supported and helped in tangible ways. In addition, Northwestern students are challenged and strengthened in their faith as they see and experience the gospel being lived out in cultures different than the one in which they live.
Spring Service Projects provide students opportunities to participate in mission work taking place domestically and abroad during annual spring breaks in early March. Students have spent their ten-day breaks serving in city missions, youth hostels, construction sites, disaster relief zones, and low-income schools.
Sites for Spring 2011
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South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... - Miracle Hill Rescue Mission Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States... - Crescent Project Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... - Cary Christian Center Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census... - Voices of Calvary Ministries San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... - Mission Road Developmental Center Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - Calvary Commission |
Sites for Spring 2010
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Summer of Service
The Summer of Service (SOS) program at Northwestern College challenges, prepares and encourages students to be effective Christian servants in the world. It also exists to assist and support missionaries and the communities they work in. Each year, 20 to 25 students serve cross-culturally for at least six weeks in the U.S. or overseas. Past participants have traveled to countries like Croatia, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Malawi, Russia, South Africa and Thailand to serve with mission agencies like The Luke Society, Dublin Christian Mission, Pioneers International and TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance MissionThe Evangelical Alliance Mission
The Evangelical Alliance Mission is an inter-denominational evangelical Christian missionary organization founded by Fredrik Franson. TEAM used to be called the Scandinavian Alliance Mission.-History:...
). They have worked in hospitals, orphanages and refugee camps; taught Vacation Bible School and English as a second language; and served in sports and hospitality ministries.
Summer of Service team members return from their summer experiences more aware of the world’s problems and promises and more equipped to wrestle with biblical applications to what they experienced. Often these students remain involved in service and mission, either full- or part-time after graduating from college.
Sites served during the summer of 2009
|
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... with TEAM The Evangelical Alliance Mission The Evangelical Alliance Mission is an inter-denominational evangelical Christian missionary organization founded by Fredrik Franson. TEAM used to be called the Scandinavian Alliance Mission.-History:... Haiti Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island... with Lifeline Christian Ministries Dublin Christian Mission The Dublin Christian Mission is the amalgamation of three older Missions located in Dublin, Ireland in 1965: the Dublin City Mission , the Dublin Medical Mission and the Dublin Mission . It is the second oldest in the world.... United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... with East Midlands Christian Fellowship Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part... and Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... with HOPE International Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... with International Teams |
Sites served during the summer of 2010
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Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately... with Pioneers Pioneers (missions agency) Pioneers is an international group of Christian missionaries seeking to spread Christianity to people in places where other missionaries have not gone or churches are rare. It was founded by Ted Fletcher in 1976 and has offices in Orlando, Florida, Melbourne, Australia, Accra, Ghana, Dorchester,... Ghana Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... with Pioneers Pioneers (missions agency) Pioneers is an international group of Christian missionaries seeking to spread Christianity to people in places where other missionaries have not gone or churches are rare. It was founded by Ted Fletcher in 1976 and has offices in Orlando, Florida, Melbourne, Australia, Accra, Ghana, Dorchester,... Uganda Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by... with International Teams Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe... with Pioneers Pioneers (missions agency) Pioneers is an international group of Christian missionaries seeking to spread Christianity to people in places where other missionaries have not gone or churches are rare. It was founded by Ted Fletcher in 1976 and has offices in Orlando, Florida, Melbourne, Australia, Accra, Ghana, Dorchester,... Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... with International Teams |
Musical opportunities
Northwestern offers ten unique musical opportunities for students. Three of these are vocal ensembles and seven are instrumental.- Symphonic Band http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a 60 member wind and percussion ensemble directed by Dr. Timothy McGarvey. Members of this ensemble hail from across the United States and from as far away as Taiwan. This group plays a diverse repertoire and goes on an annual tour. Previous tours have taken the group to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, Southern California, Venezuela, and Ukraine.
- A cappella Choir http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a 65 member vocal ensemble directed by Dr. Thomas Holm. Members of this ensemble come from a variety of majors as well as backgrounds. Music is selected from all musical time periods ranging from works by Palestrina to modern pieces by Eric Whitacre. This group has also participated in a performance of Mozart's Requiem. This ensemble's annual tour has taken it to Czech Republic, Southern California, New York State, and Austria.
- Heritage Singers http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a select group of taken from the A cappella Choir directed by Dr. Thomas Holm. This elite group has recently performed a full madrigal dinner as well as the comic operetta Die FledermausDie FledermausDie Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
and evening opera showcase. In addition to these larger productions, the ensemble also performs character pieces and tours with the A cappella Choir each spring. This group has also recently performed with the Northwest Iowa Oratorio Chorus in the Messiah (Handel)Messiah (Handel)Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
, Haydn's Missa in tempore belliMissa in tempore belliMissa in tempore belli is Joseph Haydn’s tenth, and one of the most popular, of his fourteen settings of the mass.This mass is catalogued Mass No. 10 in C major, , and is sometimes known as the Paukenmesse due to the inclusion of the timpani in its orchestration...
, and J.S. Bach's St John Passion. - Jazz Band http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a select ensemble consisting of 18 instrumentalists that is directed by Dr. Timothy McGarvey. This group features a variety of jazz styles and composers. This group has been involved in 'Battle of the Bands' with neighboring colleges as well as providing the music for Northwestern's Ballroom Dance each spring.
- Chamber Ensembles (Brass Quintet, String Quartet, and Woodwind Quintet) http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles are select groups that involve Northwestern's best musicians in their respective areas. Each ensemble performs at a joint concert each semester as well as special events on campus. These events have included the dedication of campus buildings and for the inauguration of President Greg Christy.
- Percussion Ensemble http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a select group of percussion players. This group includes individuals whose primary instrument is percussion as well as wind players, string players, and vocalists who have experience with percussion. This group performs a variety of music ranging from minimalist music to phase music and a variety of other genres.
- Chamber Orchestra http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a group of 25 string players that is directed by Dr. Kimberly Utke-Svanoe. This group performs several times each year. Music is chosen from earlier periods as well as the 20th century. This group also includes wind players for a occasional performances when the music calls for them.
- Women's Choir http://www.nwciowa.edu/music/ensembles is a group of 40 musicians directed by Dr. Linell Moss. This ensemble performs music from the Renaissance through the 20th century. This group also took part in the chorus of Northwestern's Award-Winning Original Musical "Terror Texts".
Athletics
Northwestern College is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) and the Great Plains Athletic Conference
Great Plains Athletic Conference
The Great Plains Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota...
. The college's athletes compete as the Red Raiders on eight men's teams and eight women's teams.
Club sport teams include Dance and in years past Men's Lacrosse
National championships
- 2001 - Men's Basketball - NAIA Division II
- 2001 - Women's Basketball - NAIA Division II
- 2003 - Men's Basketball - NAIA Division II
- 2008 - Women's Basketball - NAIA Division II
- 2010 - Women's Basketball - NAIA Division II
- 2011 - Women's Basketball - NAIA Division II
The 2001 "double" (men's and women's basketball titles) was the first time that an NAIA school accomplished the feat, and at the time only the second in collegiate history (Central Missouri State
Central Missouri Mules and Jennies
The sports teams at the University of Central Missouri are known as the Mules and Jennies . They participate in the NCAA's Division II and in the MIAA Conference.Men's sports*Baseball*Basketball*Cross country*Football*Golf...
previously accomplished the feat in 1984; the University of Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
would later accomplish the feat in 2004).
National runners-up
- 1992 - Men's Basketball - NAIA Division II
- 2000 - Women's Basketball - NAIA Division II